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- March 19, 2020 | U of I Online/Remote for Remainder...
- Title:
- March 19, 2020 | U of I Online/Remote for Remainder of Semester, All Events Canceled
- Date:
- 2020-03-19
- Category:
- Presidential Memos
- Harvested from:
- https://www.uidaho.edu/president/communications/presidential-memos
- Type:
- text
- Digital Format:
- text/html
- Reference Link:
- https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/fridayletter/letters/president_memo_2020-03-19.html
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March 19, 2020 | U of I Online/Remote for Remainder of Semester, All Events Canceled
TO: University of Idaho Students, Faculty and Staff
FROM: Scott Green, President
DATE: March 19, 2020
SUBJECT: U of I Online/Remote for Remainder of Semester, All Events Canceled
Watch President Green give a COVID-19 update.
In light of the growing concern over the spread of COVID-19 and to keep our Vandal Family as healthy and safe as possible, University of Idaho will deliver classes online/remotely for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester. Classes will not return to face-to-face instruction. Faculty must prepare courses so they can be completed by students from any location for the remainder of the semester.
We know this is a huge disruption to our community. Slowing the spread of this virus is vitally important and we need to do our collective part. We will continue to provide quality education and shared experiences to the best of our abilities and within appropriate social distancing guidelines.
The transition to remote course delivery has many unknowns. Many universities across the country are doing this at the same time, which could impact delivery. We must be patient and flexible as we navigate the onset of online/remote education in the coming weeks. These are the plans we have in place currently knowing that additional restrictions and access to services on campus may be necessary in the near future.
Students
If returning to campus is your only option, facilities around the state remain physically open with some modifications, including the Moscow campus. If, however, you wish to remain away from campus and learn from home — which we strongly recommend — you can do so for the remainder of the semester.
University of Idaho Residence Halls are open and Vandals Dining will continue to offer safe options for meal services. If you choose to leave your residence hall for the semester, you have the option to cancel your housing agreement and check out. Housing and Residence Life will offer pro-rated housing and meal credits to your account. An email from Housing and Residence Life with additional details will be sent to all residents shortly. More information is also available on the U of I coronavirus webpage.
Students residing in a fraternity or sorority should contact their chapter leadership as soon as possible for information on their facility and any potential changes.
Additional campus support resources, such as Counseling Services, Academic Advising, Career Services, etc., will also be available for students. If you need support from any of these services, please call the respective office directly prior to visiting to schedule an appointment. Updates to these services will be posted on the U of I coronavirus webpage as they are available.
Student-employees should check with their supervisor about their work. Every effort will be made to help student employees maintain employment, which may mean a shift in work and/or work location, depending on the position. If you are not returning to work but receive work study or teaching assistant payments as part of your financial aid package, you will receive more information as it becomes available.
University Employees
University offices will remain open, so employees should continue working unless you are taking sick leave or approved time off. You may request a flexible working arrangement from your supervisor for COVID-19-related issues including illness, care of family, or caring for school-age children who are out of school. We know not everyone can work remotely due to the nature of their work. If you have questions, please talk to your supervisor.
Most university-related travel, foreign and domestic, is canceled. If your job or research requires travel, it must be approved by your unit supervisor and relevant vice president — this includes research trips, donor visits and all other travel. Only essential university travel will be approved.
Stay home if you are sick. If anyone in your family contracts COVID-19, all family members should self-quarantine according to CDC guidelines. If you run out of sick days, please contact Human Resources. They are developing options to meet the needs of all our employees and federal guidelines are changing to support you.
The university remains open for research and to researchers. Principal investigators and supervisors have the authority and responsibility to manage their research programs. This includes changes to access or approaches to allow for increased social distancing or deferral of lower-priority work. Additional information has been added to the university COVID-19 website and the Office of Research and Economic Development remains open and staffed to provide services to students, faculty and staff on research matters.
Human Resources has worked with our benefits provider to waive the co-pay fees for COVID-19 testing. Other healthcare charges (including the office visit) may still be incurred. More information is available on the U of I coronavirus webpage.
Campus Events
The President’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America restrict gatherings of groups larger than 10 for the next eight weeks. As a result, the university is canceling all events larger than this size during this time.
Unfortunately, these cancellations include Parent and Family Weekend as well as Spring 2020 Commencement. By making this determination now, we hope everyone is able to cancel any reservations and travel plans. The decision to cancel Commencement was especially difficult. Celebrating our graduates is one of our most important traditions and celebrations. We hope all Spring 2020 graduates can return and participate in the Winter 2020 or Spring 2021 Commencement ceremonies. We promise to make them special.
The Student Rec Center is closed until further notice. If you have questions about your membership as a result of this decision, please email recwell@uidaho.edu.
Please check the university’s COVID-19 website for additional information and to review prior messages.
I personally want to say how much I appreciate our Vandal Family around the state and greater Moscow community. I am regularly questioning if we are doing all we can in a prudent and responsible manner for our collective health and safety. We are in uncharted waters — but we are not alone. Brave and Bold Vandals will get to the other side of this. Let’s be supportive, work together and stay healthy.
Keep Calm and Vandal On.
Scott Green
President